New on Exhibit

The James Compass

The James Compass is perhaps one of the most important artifacts that have ever been entrusted to the Ohio County Historical Society & Museum.  The Compass and its original Staff are part of a display that also features the original Platt of Rising Sun, Indiana dated 1814.

The James Compass has had an interesting journey through time.  It remained in the James family for 93 years and was presented to the City of Rising Sun by Mrs. Margaret Espey, the granddaughter of the town’s founder, John James, on December 16, 1907.  The Compass and its related companions were placed on public display with the following label:

This is the compass, with its staff, used in laying out the original plat of the town of Rising Sun, May 30, 1814, under direction of John James, owner of the land, which was part of over 1000 acres he owned here.

His sons did the work; Pinkney was the surveyor, Henry and Abram the chain-carriers, and Basil made the plat of the town from the field notes of the survey.

Presented to the City of Rising Sun, December 16, 1907, by Mrs. Margaret S. Espey, daughter of Dr. Basil James, and granddaughter of John James; and ordered by the Common Council to be placed in the Mahlon Brown Library for the preservation as a valued relic.

The compass remained in the City’s hands for a number of decades.  At some point in time, the Compass, Staff and Platt were handed over to the old Library in Rising Sun where the items were kept under lock and key in the lower level.  The Compass and its companion pieces were eventually entrusted to the Ohio County Historical Society & Museum in 2000.  The Platt was conserved and placed in a
protective plastic container and then sealed under protective UV glass.  The conservation of the Platt was carried out a critical point in the life of the document.  The paper was suffering from exposure to harsh light, moisture and improper handling through the years.  Had the Historical Society not acted to preserve this document, it would have faded and been lost to future generations.

The James Compass is not only a priceless treasure to the citizens of Rising Sun, is also an extremely rare and valuable artifact.  The Compass was manufactured by the renowned partnership of Rittenhouse & Potts.  Our Compass would have been crafted in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, between the years of 1796 and 1798.  Our Compass is a Vernier Compass which is a compass with a variation arc and a vernier mechanism.  With it, a surveyor could compensate for magnetic variations and run lines in elevation to the true meridian, or retrace old lines assuming that he knew the extent of magnetic variation at the time the line was originally run.  The form originated in the United States.  David Rittenhouse made one of the earliest instruments of this sort, probably in the early 1780s.  Benjamin Rittenhouse made numerous vernier compasses in the period 1785-1800.

In 1798, Surveyor General of the United States, Rufus Putnam told a prospective surveyor to obtain “a compass having a movable band Mr. Rittenhouse, near Philadelphia, makes the best I have seen).”  In 1804, deputy surveyors were informed that fieldwork was to be done with a “Rittenhouse compass with a Nonius and a common2 pole and a chain of 50 links.”  (A vernier was also known as a nonius.)  W. & L.E. Gurley introduced the term vernier compass in the early 1800s.  As you can surmise, our compass was the state of the art in technology of the time.

This was an instrument that only a person of wealth could have obtained and owned.  The James family was known for wealth and prestige in Maryland.  The James family holdings were large, as was the plantation where Mr. James was born and raised.  It was a productive farm and famous in the region of Frederick County, Maryland.  It is also very intriguing that not far from the area where John James was born and raised was a town called Rising Sun, Maryland, but that is another story.

 

Ongoing

Steamboat a Comin’

Enjoy six large scale steamboat models, photos and artifacts in celebration of the bicentennial of the first steamboat to successfully navigate America’s western inland rivers.  The New Orleans was the first of many steamboats to ply the Ohio River and pass or stop at Rising Sun.

……….2013 Events……….

February 2013

Endangered Heritage

Museums are always searching for contributions to their collections but some of these artifacts are in dire need of restoration or conservation. This exhibit gives examples of the dangers to objects in collections and includes the causes of deterioration and how to care for personal collections.

"Dreams in Color" by Chris Combs, pattern by Becky Goldsmith for Piece 'O Cake Designs

March 22, 23 & 24, 2013

Rising Sun QuiltFest

Multiple contests in quilts, art quilts, artwork, lectures, classes, vendors, special displays and the popular doll luncheon, all take place in historic downtown Rising Sun, IN.  All the events you have enjoyed in past years will be back in 2013 situated in the midst of the shops, restaurants, museum, river views and friendly folks of our deligtful little town.  Consider staying overnight at one of our Bed & Breakfasts to enjoy everything Rising Sun has to offer!  Visit www.enjoyrisingsun.com to see where you can stay in Rising Sun.
Go online to http://www.risingsunquiltfest.com/ where more information will be posted as it is available.

April 2013

A Perfect Likeness

This exhibit showcases the identification and treatment of the most common early photograpic processes.  It focusses on identifying and caring for common 19th and early 20th century processes and formats such as the daguerrotype, ambrotype, tintype and carte de visite.  A Perfect Likeness is sponsored by IHS and the George Eastman House International Museum of Photograpy and Film in Rochester, NY.

September 2013

One Shot: The WWII Photography of John Bushemi

John A. Bushemi was a good-natured, galentted photographer from Gary, Indiana, who coverd several of the island invasions during World War II in the Pacific.  This exhibit features reproductions of Bushemi’s photographs “from a rifle’s length vantage point”.  Among the images are soldiers training at Fort Bragg, soldiers on the beach of Entiwok Island in the Marshall s and close-up portraits of soldiers at the baggle for New Georgia.
Bushemi died in February 1944 when shrapnel from Japanese knee-mortar shells hit and mortally wounded him.  As surgeons were working to save his life, he told a fellow war correspondent, “Be sure to get those pictures back to the office.”